If you have recently moved away from Syrah after many disappointments, this is the one wine that ought to bring you back. Domaine Durand is from two brothers, Eric and Joël, whose vineyards lie in France’s Northern Rhône, home of the greatest Syrahs the world has ever seen. The Durands own vineyards in Cornas and St. Joseph, two of Northern Rhône’s choicest sites and their recently released 2010 Syrah is perhaps their finest yet. A blend of younger vines from the estate vineyards, it offers an explosion of flavors which seduce and caress the palate without overpowering it. Black raspberries, anise, bacon come to mind . . . along with a finish that lingers on and on. By far our best-value Syrah.
This recommendation brought you by Rod Johnson, wine team leader in Ann Arbor
Rare Bird Preserves are handmade using only seasonal fruits with a focus on locally and sustainably grown produce, ensuring the truest flavors around. With interesting varieties ranging from Caramel Apple to Fig Earl Grey and Passion Fruit Curd, every palate is sure to be pleased.
Rare Bird Preserves are made in a small kitchen the traditional way—in copper pots with all natural ingredients, but the flavor combinations are anything but ordinary. Rare Birds uses artisan methods to infuse herbal and floral flavors with fresh, local fruit. Some upcoming flavors for the winter include Cranberry Clementine, Meyer Lemon Rosemary and Grapefruit Mint. Check out Rare Bird’s Blog for some great recipe ideas like Mascarpone Frangipane Tarts topped with Fig Earl Grey Preserves http://blog.rarebirdpreserves.com/ and stop in any Plum Market store to grab your ingredients!
We are now featuring All Natural Grass-fed beef from Great Northern Cattle Company. This beef gets its great flavor from the 100% grass-fed diet, plus it’s aged for 21 days. The cattle are raised exclusively on unconfined pastures and are never fed any grains, corn, animal by-products, bakery by-products, potatoes or sugar beets.
The beef from this Montana ranch is all humanely raised without antibiotics or growth hormones. This healthy approach ensures the beef is rich in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and CLA, as well as being high in “good” unsaturated fats. This is beef that is good for you and that you can enjoy eating! Check out Great Northern Cattle Co.’s website for more information.
One of our cheese buyers here at Plum Market just came home from the East of France where he visited the fruitiére, pictured below. French farmers have been producing cheese here for over 2,000 years! Comté cheese has been made in the Massif du Jura region of France since the middle ages.
It was the long, hard winters in the Jura regions that forced the farmers of this region to find a way to keep cheese through the winter. Little did they know that this process would become such a popular tradition still today. The non-intensive agricultural craft of producing Comté is now practiced in over 3,000 family farms. Its production remains based on traditional methods and has strict rules for each stage.
The cheese-making process begins when local farmers bring their milk daily to the fruitiére. The cheesemaking house was given this name based on the idea that “milk bears fruit”. These fruitiéres are normally the village centers and have become the heart of every community. Farmers bring in their milk every day of the year, as Comté must begin its cheesemaking process within 24 hours of the milk being collected. Once the cheese is made, it begins the maturing process to acquire its distinctive flavor. For this, Comté cannot be hurried.
The large rounds of Comté sit on spruce boards, rubbed with a brine solution called morge, turned over and salted regularly. This process will last anywhere between 4-18 months or up to 10 years! Once it has matured, it becomes soft, smooth and supple. Be sure to ask one of our Artisan Cheese experts for a sample next time you’re in Plum Market!
NEW! Jet-Fresh Wild Caught Fish, Delivered Daily from Hawaii
Visit our Seafood Counter for some new heavenly fresh selections flown in daily from Hawaii! Our Hawaiian fish are selected one-by-one by Sashimi experts, a process that requires patience and adherence to a strict code of quality. Just 2% of all the fish landed in Hawaii are selected to meet this grade: onlly the strongest, freshest, richest oil content, and candy-like texture make the cut.
Take these jet-fresh selections home tonight:
(Selection Varies Daily At Each Store)
Hawaiian Swordfish: Hawaiian Swordfish are caught on long line fishing gear in the colder currents of Hawaiian waters. The trips are very short ensuring that the freshness is superior to other versions found on the market. When Sword meat has a clean, slight pink hue and buttery moisture like this, you can refer to it as Shutome- the Japanese name for sashimi-grade Sword. Under high-heat applications, oil enables moist firming yet no mushy texture.
Walu: Only insiders know about Walu and its rare oil which is unique to only a few species. One of the two best-tasting fish in the world. Walu has a rich, buttery flavor that is luscious cooked and a delicacy raw. This exotic sashimi grade fish is also known as “white tuna” because of its rich oil content and tuna-like texture. Density and high moisture retention make this a versatile fish to prepare and a valuable commodity raw. Its paper-white color marks up especially well on the grill.
Nairagi: Visible fat marbling makes it a shame to cook this grade of Nairagi. Extremely rare and reminiscent of Ahi Toro for its valuable oil content, this is a sashimi lover’s dream. When cooked, its presentation-like cream orange color turns to a mild pink and maintains moisture. Raw Nairagi is a little-known secret of the Hawaiian Islands. Texture qualities offer a dancy-smooth firmness which makes great tartar, poke, or simply sliced.
We’re thrilled to announce a local partnership with Lisa Samartino Designs. Lisa creates award-winning, exquisite stationary, and she has been working with Plum Market to launch a new card line. It is now available in all stores (stop by the Floral department) so you can top off that perfect gift with a modern or vintage-inspired card that has been creatively designed by our friend, Lisa Samartino. Check out Lisa’s Pinterest page to see what inspires her design: Lisa Samartino Pinterest
We have a fabulous selection of cards for every occasion. Have fun trying to decide:
Will arrive August 27, 2012 in Ann Arbor and West Bloomfield! Will arrive in Bloomfield on August 31, 2012.
About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces nine year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Belgo IPA, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. It all started when Jeff Lebesch rode through European villages famous for making beer on his mountain bike (with “fat tires”). He returned to Fort Collins with a handful of ingredients and an imagination full of recipes. Check out pictures of the brewery: http://www.newbelgium.com/culture/brewery/brewery-photos.aspx
Wednesday August 01st 2012, 8:28 pm
Filed under: Grocery,Produce
Dirty Girl Produce is a 40 acre certified organic family farm located in Santa Cruz County, Ca. Situated on rich, fertile land between the San Lorenzo River and sheltering Pogonip hills, the farm reaps the blessings of Monterey Bay climate and pristine watershed to produce sublime organic vegetables renowned for their flavor and vitality.
Dirty Girl grows over 20 varieties of fruits and vegetables, and one of our favorites is their Dry Farm Early Girl Tomatoes. Dirty Girl Dry Farm Tomatoes are grown sustainably using only rainwater from the torrential rains that saturate the soil in Northern California during the winter. The plants are deprived of water after they reach maturity. This lack of water stresses the plant forcing the roots deep into the soil in search of water and focuses its efforts on producing fruit. The result is a smaller tomato and lower yield, but the tomatoes have a tremendous flavor and texture.
Last year we introduced these beauties to our produce department, even though they are typically only sold to California’s Central Coast farmer’s markets. But because our guests seek the freshest and healthiest organic produce we were added to the list of retailers to carry these bright, juicy tomatoes.
The tomatoes will be here soon, but NOW (for a limited time), you can have access to these favorite tomatoes any time because they’re shipping them directly to our grocery department shelves! Use them in any recipe that calls for tomatoes—salsa, pasta, casserole, salad, or just eat them out of the jar! You’re welcome.
If you are a rosé lover ―and isn’t this the summer for it ― then your ship has just come in. Cupcake, that California wine company synonymous with value wines from throughout the world, sometimes comes up with real gems. Last summer it was a sparkler from France’s Loire that was absolutely the hit of the summer 0f ’11. Many a patio sported that bubbly to foil the heat, and we still get many requests for it but, alas, Cupcake has moved on.
Not to worry! Just in to add refreshment to a warm sunny day is Cupcake Côtes du Provence Rosé. From the 2011 vintage, bottled in Provence itself, and priced at $5.97 per bottle, this rose is an absolute steal!
This is real Provence rosé ―that beautiful onion-skin color, more orange than pink; the alluring scents of rose petals, lavender and strawberries and the crisp, delicate flavors that are hauntingly pure, clean and penetrating that linger on and on yet refresh the palate and brighten our spirits. Pick up a few bottles before the summer comes to a close, and enjoy!
